Will no Irish bishop speak out against Mater Misericordiae hospital killing babies through abortion?

By Deacon Nick Donnelly, on September 27th, 2013

Two days ago Mater Misericordiae hospital announced that it would comply with Enda Kenny’s abortion law and permit Catholic doctors and nurses to kill babies through abortion. Over the past two days not one Irish bishop has been reported as speaking out against this betrayal of the Church and worse betrayal of unborn babies and their mothers.

Mater Misericordiae hospital comes under the jurisdiction of Archbishop D. Martin of Dublin, who is represented on the Board of Mater Misericordiae hospital. As yet Archbishop Martin has said nothing to explain his position on a Catholic hospital in his diocese performing abortions.

Fr Kevin Doran is one of Archbishop Martin’s representatives on the Board of Mater Misericordiae hospital, and earlier in the year he told the press that Archbishop D. Martin would be involved in the hospital’s decision to resist or comply with Enda Kenny’s abortion law. Archbishop Martin needs to tell the Catholics of Ireland, and the world, what he said to the Board of Mater Misericordiae hospital. Over such a serious abandonment of Church doctrine and authority he can’t remain silent.

Fr Kevin Doran had said earlier in the year that it was inconceivable that Mater Misericordiae hospital would comply with Enda Kenny’s abortion law, but he has been proven wrong. When asked by the press about Mater hospital’s decision he is now saying ‘No comment’. Fr Doran, silence is not an option.

Will Archbishop Eamonn Martin speak out against this shameful decision? Or Cardinal Brady? Or Archbishop Brown,the Apostolic Nuncio? Silence is not an option. Can’t any of you see that this is the knock out blow to the binding nature of the Church’s moral teaching? If Catholics see a Catholic hospital killing babies through abortion what hope is there that they will listen to the Church’s moral teaching on contraception, IVF, sex outside marriage, gay marriage? Your silence will be heard as acceptance, even agreement, with Mater Misericordiae hospital’s willingness to perform abortions. How can you live with this?

28 comments to Will no Irish bishop speak out against Mater Misericordiae hospital killing babies through abortion?

I have heard the bishops are being paid-off to keep their mouths shut. I suppose it’s possible; it would explain their astonishing silence. Why else would they all be keeping so very suspiciously quiet?

The other explanation is that the Irish Bishops support the availability of abortions within their dioceses. Given the choice I’d rather believe the corruption rumour; although far-from-good, it would be less awful than bishops supporting child murder.

Could someone please explain to me what other reason might be causing the bishops’ silence?

Quite simple: Either they do not support the teaching of the Church on sexual ethics or they are universalists who believe that a loving God could not possibly ever send anyone to hell. Therefore whatever anyone does they will go to heaven so there is no need to stop them doing anything sinful. A bit tough on the baby being killed though. I am inclined to the latter explanation.

I don’t believe that either. They would not do such a thing. But the silence is very disheartening especially for all those faithful Priests and Laity who work for the protection of Life in Ireland. It was wonderful on the other hand to see the Bishops in Slovakia organise a rally for Life which drew 80,000 people which was way above their expectations. It shows what happens when the Bishops stand up for the Lord and the Gospel of Life and how He truly blesses them. Silence is so deadly in the face of such evil.

Perhaps they are speaking with the Board of Directors of the Hospital behind the scenes. But it would be good to hear from them that they are doing something. They must remember that they are Shepherds and the Sheep are watching and waiting. By doing and saying nothing it gives a bad witness to the Church. In the face of all that we went through with the abuse scandals, it seems we have learned little with regard to communication.

When the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth removed its ban on referral for abortions from its Code of Ethics the Cardinal’s representative, Bishop Stack, protested. The Chairman silenced him saying the Cardinal had approved the change.

If Catholic hospitals now perform abortions with the support of bishops and cardinals (which appears to be the case in Ireland and at St John & Elizabeth, London) AND the powers that be in Rome also stay silent, then it’s no wonder the Tablet is reporting that the Church is changing its mind over abortion.

It seems to me The Tablet might well be right in its claim, and they seem to have plenty of supportive evidence.

Maybe the Church IS about to relax the rules on abortion (in some dioceses)? It certainly looks like it at the moment from my layman’s perspective.

It was a bit more complicated. We are talking about referrals for abortion not actual abortions. That is to say signing some bit of paper which referred the patient to a hospital where the abortion could be performed and authorising the abortion. At the time the Chairman had visited the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome and subsequently claimed that he had the approval from Rome to delete the ban on referrals for abortion and other matters. I wrote to the CDF asking whether that was true. I did not get a reply (which is normal) but the ban on referrals was put back. We can only assume that this was at the behest of the CDF.

Unfortunately previously the Hospital had allowed the entry of an NHS/GP practice into the Hospital who were under contract with the NHS to provide referrals and other unethical services. The Hospital allowed them in and their lease exempted them from complying with Catholic ethics. The Cardinal took no effective action to stop this happening.

As to actual abortions the birth unit at the Hospital was headed by a doctor who had an IVF clinic a few streets away. According to a Muslim doctor who worked at the hospital there were records of clean-ups after miscarriages and he believed there were far too many. The suspicion was that in fact these were foetal reductions (i.e. reducing the number of foetuses consequent upon IVF). The Hospital always refused any investigation into such matters and even reported two doctors to the GMC for totally unfounded breaches of patient confidentially when they brought up the subject of records of operations which were unethical.

Rome will not change its stance. What we have is a problem with Bishops who do nothing to support the teachings of the Church on bio-ethical issues. It now seems the problem extends to Ireland.

J’interroge: dans de telles conditions, comment peut-on faire confiance au Magistère de l’Église? Comment des évêques totalement amoraux et discrédités peuvent-ils exiger du clergé et des fidèles qu’ils leur fassent confiance? Comment peuvent-ils parler de “nouvelle évangélisation et d’année de la Foi” et les mettre en œuvre? Il faudra clarifier le sujet!… /
TRANSLATION
I ask: under such conditions, how can we trust the Magisterium of the Church? How totally amoral and discredited bishops can they require the clergy and the faithful do they trust them? How can they speak of “new evangelization and Year of Faith” and implement them? The subject has to be clarified!…